Reborn in '77, I have a job panel!

Qian Cheng had just returned home and hadn't even stepped across the threshold when Hou Yufen rushed out of the house in a great hurry.

She grabbed Qian Cheng's arm, looked him up and down, left and right, then lifted his coat sleeve to examine his arm, and ran her hand through his hair to check his head, muttering, "Are you hurt? Huh? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Qian Cheng was both amused and exasperated by the maneuvering: "Mom, I'm fine, really fine."

Hou Yufen breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that her son was unharmed, but her face immediately darkened, and she slapped Qian Cheng on the back: "You brat! You've only just recovered from your illness, and you've already gone off to fight again! You're going to drive me crazy!"

The slap wasn't hard, but Hou Yufen was really upset; her eyes even turned red.

Qian Cheng quickly smiled apologetically, "Mom, I didn't fight, I just... I just went to reason with her."

"Reason?" Hou Yufen glared at him. "It's all over the village! They say you pinned Wang Shoujun down in the snow and kicked him until he was crying for his parents!"

What's Wang Shoujun's build? He's over 1.8 meters tall and weighs over 180 kilograms! You dare to lay a hand on him?

Qian Cheng was taken aback: "The news spread so fast?"

"The village is so small, even the smallest thing can spread from one end of the village to the other!" Hou Yufen became more and more angry as she spoke. "Old Li's wife at the village entrance said it all in great detail, that you kicked Wang Shoujun three meters away! She also said that you grabbed him by the collar and slapped him seven or eight times!"

Qian Cheng's lips twitched as he listened.

Where is this going?

He only kicked it a few times, how did it end up being a martial arts movie?

Just then, the courtyard gate was pushed open with a "bang," and Qian Lu led his wife in a flurry of activity.

Qian Lu's face was covered in sweat, and the buttons on his cotton-padded jacket were all buttoned crookedly; it was clear he had run back.

When he saw Qian Cheng, he was stunned for a moment, then rushed over and kicked Qian Cheng in the butt without saying a word.

"Ouch!" Qian Cheng staggered forward two steps, clutching his backside and turning around. "Brother, what are you doing?"

"What did I do?" Qian Lu's face turned red with anger. "Qian Cheng, you've grown some guts, haven't you? You've barely recovered from your illness for a day, and you're already getting into fights again! This time you even went to Wang Shoujun's house and beat him up! Do you know they're threatening to call the police? What will Mom do if you get arrested? Huh?"

Qian Lu's wife was also anxious, but she didn't intervene. She just stood aside and advised, "Talk to her nicely, don't hit her."

"How could I not take action?" Qian Lu pointed at Qian Cheng. "That kid is a real handful! He wasn't satisfied with freezing to death once, he wants to go to jail too?"

Qian Cheng quickly hid behind Hou Yufen, shouting as he did so, "Brother! Let me explain!"

"What's there to explain? You think you're justified in fighting?"

"That's absolutely right!" Qian Cheng poked his head out from behind Hou Yufen. "That bastard Wang Shoujun owes money and won't pay it back! My teacher's wife went to ask for the money; it's almost a year's worth of medical fees they owe!"

Seven yuan! As a result, Wang Shoujun's wife, Sun Xinghua, directly scratched my teacher's wife's face!

Two bloody marks! My teacher's wife's face was so swollen, she had to go to the clinic for treatment!

As Qian Cheng spoke, he gestured, "It's this long of a cut! It almost disfigured me!"

Qian Lu stopped in his tracks.

Hou Yufen was also stunned.

"Your teacher's wife... Dr. Deng?" Qian Lu asked.

"That's right!" Qian Cheng walked out from behind Hou Yufen. "When my teacher's wife treats the livestock in the village, she lets anyone who is short of money pay on credit and never chases after them for payment."

She would ask for it once a year at the end of the year, and if you were really in trouble, she would even waive the medical expenses.

Such a good person was bullied by Wang Shoujun's family, how could I ignore it?

Qian Cheng paused here, then continued, "Besides, even if I go to the institute, I'm still in the right!"

Paying back debts is a matter of course!

If someone physically assaults another person, it's only right that they pay for medical treatment.

Wang Shoujun dares to call the police? Let him try! Let's see if the police arrest him or me!

Qian Lu fell silent.

He lowered his raised foot, stood still, and his expression changed repeatedly.

Hou Yufen spoke first: "Veterinarian Deng, were you really beaten?"

"They really hit her! When I arrived, my master's wife was standing in the courtyard, her cotton-padded coat collar was torn crooked, and she had two bloody marks on her face. She was trembling with anger."

Wang Shoujun was still standing there with his hands on his hips, cursing and saying, "What's wrong with a woman tearing things apart a bit?"

Pah! His wife is ruthless!

Qian Lu's wife whispered, "Deng the veterinarian is really good. She cured our pig that had diarrhea the year before last."

We didn't have any cash at the time, and she said she'd give it to us when she had some, but in the end, Mom took the initiative to deliver it.

Hou Yufen nodded, remembering the matter.

Qian Lu was silent for a moment, then suddenly cursed, "He deserves a beating!"

He looked at Qian Cheng: "Wang Shoujun and his wife are truly despicable! They could even lay a hand on such a good person as Veterinarian Deng!"

Hou Yufen sighed, "Deng the veterinarian has a really good reputation in the village. If anyone's livestock is sick, she'll get up and check on them even if you knock on the door in the middle of the night. This Wang Shoujun family is really shameless."

The misunderstanding was cleared up, and the atmosphere eased.

Qian Lu patted Qian Cheng on the shoulder: "But don't be so reckless in the future. With Wang Shoujun's physique, if he fights back, do you think you can beat him?"

"You have to fight even if you can't win. The more cowardly you are with that kind of person, the more they will bully you."

"That's true." Qian Lu nodded. "But next time, call me too, and we brothers can go together."

Qian Cheng smiled and said, "Okay."

Hou Yufen felt relieved to see that the two brothers had made up, but she still said, "No more fighting, you hear me? If something really happens, Mom can't take it."

"Okay, Mom," Qian Cheng replied, glancing at the sky. "What are we having for dinner? I'll cook."

"You'll cook?" Hou Yufen hesitated. "There's not much food left at home."

"I'll do whatever's available," Qian Cheng said, taking off his cotton-padded coat and heading towards the kitchen.

There really wasn't much left in the kitchen.

There was half a head of sauerkraut left, a few potatoes, and some cabbage stalks piled up in the corner. Those were used to feed the chickens; they could be eaten by people too, but the taste was poor.

Qian Cheng rummaged through the cabinet and found a small bowl of lard, about three ounces left.

They found another half bag of cornmeal and a small handful of dried chili peppers.

He thought about it and decided to cook two dishes.

First, prepare the cabbage stalks.

This stuff is tough, so you have to blanch it in boiling water first to remove the raw taste. After blanching, take it out, squeeze out the water, and cut it into thin strips.

Put a small spoonful of lard in the pot.

Hou Yufen watched from the doorway, her face contorted with heartache: "Put in less! Put in less!"

"Okay, Mom," Qian Cheng replied. After the oil melted, he grabbed a handful of dried chilies and threw them in to sauté until fragrant.

With a sizzling sound, the aroma of charred chili peppers mixed with the savory scent of lard wafted out.

Hou Yufen sniffed but didn't say anything.

Qian Cheng poured the shredded cabbage into the pot and stir-fried it quickly.

The shredded cabbage quickly became shiny after being dipped in oil.

He sprinkled some more salt and continued stir-frying until the cabbage shreds softened, then took it out of the pan and plated it.

It's a very simple dish, but the cabbage absorbs the aroma of lard and the spiciness of chili peppers, making it very appetizing.